ON THE APPLICATION OF THE ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY METHOD IN FOUNDATION FAILURE INVESTIGATION – A case study

An investigation of the cause(s) of the foundation failure of the buildings in the premises of the Dental Clinic in the campus of the Obafemi Awolowo University (O.A.U), Ile-Ife, Nigeria, was carried out using the electrical resistivity method. The aim of the investigation was to delineate the geoelectric and geologic parameters of the subsurface, as a means of determining the cause(s) of the foundation failure. Measurements involving vertical electrical sounding (VES) and horizontal profiling (EHP) techniques were taken along three traverses. The results were presented as geoelectric sections, pseudosections and maps. The geoelectric sections reveal three subsurface layers, namely the topsoil, the weathered layer and the basement bedrock. Depth to the bedrock map revealed a depression with an approximate N-S trend. The competent materials underlie the premises. It is concluded from these that the buildings failed due to the flow of the incompetent clays on which they were founded. KEY WORDS: Electrical Resistivity, Foundation Failure, Case Study. Global Jnl Geological Sciences. Vol.2(1) 2004: 139-15